sunlight

American  

[suhn-lahyt] / ˈsʌnˌlaɪt /

noun

1. the light of the sun; sunshine.

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sunlight British  

/ ˈsʌnlaɪt /

noun

1. the light emanating from the sun

2. an area or the time characterized by sunshine

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Other Word Forms

• sunlit adjective

Etymology

Origin of sunlight

First recorded in 1175–1225, sunlight is from the Middle English word sonneliht. See sun, light ¹

Example Sentences

“We have come a long way in the last 10,000 years,” Mr. Ennos writes, though people are “using up stores of energy that had been captured by plants from sunlight over millions of years.”

From The Wall Street Journal

Clouds reflect sunlight back into space, trap heat and move energy around.

From The Wall Street Journal

Saint-Louis, he realised, has an abundance of sunlight, land and labour.

From BBC

These microbes developed the ability to harness sunlight and water through photosynthesis, releasing oxygen as a byproduct.

From Science Daily

And then the sunlight seemed to narrow, to dim.

From Literature

Related Words

• dawn
• daytime
• sunshine